Smith + Thell Serve Flawless Folk-Pop on ‘Row': PopCrush Premiere

Fall is the perfect time for thumping, folk-inspired songs that inspire wanderlust in the listener, and it's always the right time to get obsessed with some virtually-perfect Swedish pop. Smith & Thell hail from the same country that gave us Robyn, Tove Lo, Icona Pop and Zara Larrson, and after making a name for themselves as songwriters and producers, the duo's put forth a gem of their own with "Row."

"'Row' is our fight song! We realize that life doesn't go 'merrily down the stream' like we were told it would when we were younger and that life, much like a body of water, sometimes forces you to battle upstream," the duo told PopCrush about the song's meaning. "The message of the song is really about facing life's obstacles and instead of giving up and being "washed away with the tide" you need to keep on "rowing" through those hard times in order to make it out alive."

The anthem evokes the exuberance and sound of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros' "Home" and Of Monsters and Men's "Little Talks," but Maria Jane Smith's sugary rasp and "Row"'s lush production cement Smith & Thell as a unique force to be reckoned with.

And they've already won critical acclaim from the likes of super-producer Max Martin: In 2015, Smith & Thell nabbed Sweden's jury-judged Denniz Pop Award for New Artist of the Year, an honor that previously went to current "Cool Girl" Tove Lo.

Listen to "Row" below, and stay tuned for more.